Politicians part ways over Schenectady seat

Kosiur's bid faces competition, push for a fall election

By Paul Nelson

Published 9:31 pm, Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Schenectady

Schenectady school board member Ed Kosiur has the inside track on a soon-to-be vacant City Council seat, but he also has some competition for the post that is causing a split among Democrats on the panel.

City Councilman Vince Riggi plans to hold interviews of potential candidates for the open seat, but he favors leaving it vacant until November and having city residents choose Denise Brucker's successor.

She's moving to Niskayuna, and has said her last City Council meeting is Monday.

Councilwoman Marion Porterfield said Kosiur has had a chance to serve the public and "might make a good mentor" to less-experienced candidates.

Porterfield said city leaders and politicians need to encourage residents who might be interested in giving back to their community.

"New people should be given an opportunity to serve their community," Porterfield said.

Kosiur, a Woodlawn resident, works as a special assistant county commissioner, a job to which he was hired after losing an Assembly race to Republican George Amedore Jr. in 2007. He makes $85,309 a year.

Riggi, a Independent who has been endorsed by Republicans, said the selection process needs to be "an open and democratic, to give everybody a chance at being a councilperson." He said that ideally, the seat should remain open until Election Day 2014.

Riggi has reservations about Kosiur, who previously served as city councilman and county legislator.

"My problem is, can he be unbiased in any dealings we might have with the county or anything to do with the Democratic Party?" said Riggi.

He noted that the council has for the past 18 months operated with six members when Councilwoman Barbara Blanchard was sidelined by health problems.

"My hope would be that we leave the seat open until November 2014," Riggi said. "I don't see this as pressing right now, and I think we should take our time an get the best possible person for this seat since the electorate is out of the process right now." Council members Carl Erikson and Leesa Perazzo did not return calls Wednesday seeking comment.

Democratic City Chairman Richard Naylor said Schenectady residents lose out by not having a seventh City Council member working on their behalf. He said the executive committee of Schenectady Democrats will meet Jan. 18 to discuss candidates for the open seat.

He lauded Kosiur as a "popular guy" in the city who "has connections and gets things done," but pledged to interview other potential candidates with the "appropriate skills that follow the values of the Democratic tradition."

Naylor said he has heard from Mohamed Hafez, an activist landlord and property manager, and Robert Barnes, a neighborhood leader in the city's Goose Hill section who lost a bid for a school board seat.